Improvement in feathering paddle-wheels



UNITED STATES PATE LUI ISA VOLK, OF BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS, ADMINISTRATRIX OF CHARLES i F. VOLK, DEGEASED.

IMRQVEMENT IN FEATHERING PADDLE-WHEELS.

Specillcation forming part of Lettere Patent No. 164,571, dated September 1,1874; application led -May 18, 1874.

To all whom it muy concern Beit known that CHARLES F. VOLK, late of Blue Island, in the county of Cook and State 'ot' Illinois, deceased, did invent an Improved actuated by xed cams Aat the other, caused to enter and leave the Water in vertical planes.

Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the center of.

Thi,- wheel. '3 is atransverse vertical seotion of the central part oi" the wheel, at :v .c in F 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation yofpart oi' the wheel-rim. Fig. 5 is a cross-section ot' a lloatlever, showing in plan a portion of the cross-head, and in section the guide thereof, the section being taken at` yy in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of cross-head, at z z, Fig. 2, showing the manner of connecting the float-lever thereto. Fig. 7 isa side elevation of the same.

In the drawing, A represents the paddleshaft, journaled in the pillar-blocks B, which are secured to the wheel-framing A(J of the ship. To the inner face of each wheel-frame C is secured a double-liangcd egg-shaped cam, D. Two flanges; E E, are keyed on the shaft, and to them are bolted the arms F, which do not radiate from the shaft, but are tangent thereto. To their sides and near their outer ends are bolted the tirolo-irons (l, which are the wheel-rims proper, although apair of lgrger circles, G', of greater diameter, are jacked thereon, and trussed to withstand the shock resulting from striking ice or drift-wood, for the protection of the floats H, which are bolted ou straps a, which are pvovted to the ends ofthe arms, the pivotbolts also passing through the apexes of angular truss-frames I,

Whose ends are bolted to the rim proper.

The straps at the back of each oat have each u lng, b, about midway between the floatpivot und the edge of the float, to which ,lug

is pivoted one end oi' a lever or rod, K, whose other end is secured by a strap, L, to a cross head or bar, M. The strap and stub end of' the lever include a pair of brasses for the journal of the cross-head, and the strap is secured to the stub end by a pair oi' transverse pins, c, as shown in Figs. and 7. This allows the levers to vibrate on the cross-head, whose ends project into the flanges of the cams D, where they are provided with friction rollers or collars d, Fig. 2.

The projection of the cams D is downward, and the levers are of such length that they turn the iloats, so as to form segments of a circle, having the shaft for an axis, until the ,cross-head .enters the prqieetion of the cam# groove, when the levers are projected to turn the float as it enters the Water, causing it to a sume a new position in a vertical plane, which it retains until it emerges, making all the power expended available for propulsion. The cross-heads are compelled to move radially out and in by guides c, which embrace them. These guides are radially bolted to the flanges E, and to a small eirole,f, bolted to the sides of the wheel-arms.I l

To` insure strength and lightness, the entire wheel should be made of niet-al.

To keep the cross-heads and their att-achments drawn in, an 'endless chain, N, passes alternately under sheaves y, journaled in forked stnds tapped inte the shaft midway between the flanges, and over similar sheaves f', tapped by'their studs into the .base of each cross-head.

What is claimed as the invention, und desired to he secured by Letters Patent, ise-4 1. Incombinatimthe lloets H, levers K, provided with straps L and pins c, vthe crosslaead M, and the guides c, bolted to anges E E and circles f, the several parts being constructed substantially as described and shown.

The shaft A, cross-heads M chain N, and sheaves gf', substantially as and for' the purpose setforth.

LOUISA VOLK, Adml'v. '\\'itnesses:

EDWARD SEYFAR'lH,

HERMAN SEYFAR'rn. 

